H.R. 4594 – Afghan Allies Protection Extension Act

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Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee

July 21, 2014

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 7, 2014

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E705)

May 7, 2014

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

May 7, 2014

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee

July 21, 2014

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 4594 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Earl BlumenauerD-OR-3 · Jul 15, 2014

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, I joined several of my colleagues and hundreds of people in the Congressional Auditorium to watch a gripping new film, ``The Interpreters,'' by VICE News, about the…

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, I joined several of my colleagues and hundreds of people in the Congressional Auditorium to watch a gripping new film, ``The Interpreters,'' by VICE News, about the American failure to protect Afghans who helped our soldiers as guides, interpreters, and drivers. Their lives are now at risk as a result of their brave service and our failure to act.

For almost a decade, I have been battling to have the United States honor these obligations by effectively implementing the Special Immigrant Visas program authorized by Congress. For a while, we were battling the bureaucracy itself, which issued an embarrassing total of 32 visas for all of 2012 to help save these poor souls trapped in a bureaucratic hell.

Since the beginning of the year, this bureaucratic logjam has broken and we have been able to raise it to an average of 400 a month. With that progress has come troubling news.

Congress set the cap on these visas artificially low--only 3,000 for the entire fiscal year. These visas are effectively gone now. They are used up. It is not theoretical. We have 6,000 Afghan applicants in the pipeline right now and more who are looking for relief and safety.

Recently, Secretary Kerry, in a powerful opinion piece in the LA Times, noted this challenge and called on Congress to act and raise the cap. With each day that passes, as is so vividly illustrated by VICE Media's gripping documentary, these are people whose lives and those of their families are left to the tender mercies of the Taliban seeking revenge and setting as an example.

One case just caught my eye. The plight of Mohammad is typical. His father was murdered and his toddler brother was abducted, all because of his special service to the United States. Without a Special Immigrant Visa, he was next on the list to be kidnapped, tortured, and perhaps beheaded.

As Secretary Kerry pointed out, ``the way a country winds down a war in a faraway place and stands by those who risk their own safety to help us in the fight sends a powerful message to the world that is not soon forgotten.'' Secretary Kerry said:

And as the withdrawal proceeds, the United States is in

danger of sending the wrong message to the interpreters and

others who put their lives on the line to help our troops and

diplomats do their jobs.

That is why this is so urgent.

Remember how we brought the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa back to life last October in the middle of impossible circumstances during the government shutdown? There was bipartisan support, thanks to Leader Cantor, Leader Hoyer, Chairman Goodlatte, Tulsi Gabbard, Adam Kinzinger, and others. A number of bipartisan leaders sprung to action. We need that same bipartisan spirit of support and urgency for the Afghan visa program. As soon as possible, Congress must authorize at least 1,000 additional visas for this fiscal year to get us through these next critical months.

It is the moral obligation of every Member of Congress not to just cosponsor H.R. 4594, the bipartisan Afghan Allies Protection Act, which I have introduced with my friend and colleague Adam Kinzinger and Senators McCain and Shaheen in the Senate, but we should demand action before we adjourn.

As Congressman Kinzinger pointed out, it doesn't matter where you stood on the Iraq war--I thought it was a tragic mistake, and I still do--but what matters now is where we stand in keeping our commitments. Innocent lives are at stake. American honor is on the line. Our future actions could be compromised if people don't trust us.

It is our duty to save the lives of those who risked so much to help us when we needed them. They need us to cosponsor H.R. 4594 to protect innocent lives and American honor.

Rep. Earl BlumenauerD-OR-3 · Jul 11, 2014

Mr. Speaker, I just shared with the Speaker that the battle to save the lives of Afghans who helped Americans as guides and interpreters has been a roller coaster, documented again Wednesday night in…

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 7, 2014

I

113th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 4594

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 7, 2014

Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Stivers, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Engel, and Mr. Reichert) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To provide for a 1-year extension of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Afghan Allies Protection Extension Act.

2.

Extension and expansion of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program

Section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2)—

(A)

in subparagraph (A)—

(i)

by amending clause (ii) to read as follows:

(ii)

was or is employed in Afghanistan on or after October 7, 2001, for not less than 1 year—

(I)

by, or on behalf of, the United States Government;

(II)

by, or on behalf of, an organization or entity closely associated with the United States mission in Afghanistan that has received United States Government funding through an official and documented contract, award, grant, or cooperative agreement, including the International Security Assistance Force; or

(III)

by, or on behalf of, a media or nongovernmental organization headquartered in the United States;

;

(ii)

in clause (iii), by striking the United States Government and inserting an entity or organization described in clause (ii); and

(iii)

in clause (iv), by striking by the United States Government and inserting described in clause (ii); and

(B)

by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

(B)

Family members

An alien is described in this subparagraph if the alien is—

(i)

the spouse or minor child of a principal alien described in subparagraph (A) who is accompanying or following to join the principal alien in the United States; or

(ii)

(I)

the spouse, child, parent, or sibling of a principal alien described in subparagraph (A), whether or not accompanying or following to join; and

(II)

has experienced or is experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a consequence of the qualifying employment of a principal alien described in subparagraph (A).

; and

(2)

in paragraph (3), by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:

(D)

Additional fiscal years

For each of fiscal years 2014 and 2015, the total number of principal aliens who may be provided special immigrant status under this section may not exceed 3,000 per year, except that—

(i)

notwithstanding subparagraph (C), any unused balance of the total number of principal aliens who may be provided special immigrant status in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 may be carried forward and provided through December 31, 2016;

(ii)

the 1-year period during which an alien must have been employed in accordance with paragraph (2)(A)(ii) shall be the period from October 7, 2001, through December 31, 2014; and

(iii)

the principal alien seeking special immigrant status under this subparagraph shall apply to the Chief of Mission in accordance with paragraph (2)(D) not later than December 31, 2015.

.